NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – Mayor Bill de Blasio says more than 50,000 New Yorkers have been vaccinated against COVID-19.
But as Lisa Rozner reported at CBS2 on Sunday, one health network is under investigation.
The ParCare Community Health Network is known to have been a partner with the city and the state in getting public health messages out to Orthodox Jewish communities.
But now, state Health Commissioner Howard Zucker says a criminal investigation into the company is ongoing.
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There are six locations throughout Brooklyn, Manhattan and Rockland County.
Zucker said in a statement that ParCare, “that he had received the vaccine fraudulently, could be moved to facilities in other parts of the state in violation of state directives and made available to the public. ”
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State guidelines call for the first round of vaccinations to go to frontline health care workers, and residents and workers in long-term care facilities.
But a post on December 16 on the ParCare Facebook page said it is available “as they come.
A ParCare spokesman said the company followed all Department of Health procedures for obtaining the Moderna vaccine and agreed with the state and Centers for Disease Control for its release. That person also gave Rozner the email from the state health department dispensing 2,300 doses, and a packaging voucher sending loads of Moderna vaccines to his place in Monroe, New York.
ParCare said the state has given verbal permission to distribute those to its other locations.
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Rozner spoke to one man who said he had been vaccinated by ParCare. He is 68 years old and diabetic, and also interacts regularly with the community to distribute food to those in need.
“I don’t see any laws in New York state banning a local provider in a hard-hit community. Brooklyn has been hit hard, ”said Mark Meyer Appel of the Bridge Multicultural and Advocacy Project. “They were the first to be shut down and converted to a red zone. So when it comes to shutting them down, it’s okay when it comes to vaccinating. Suddenly everyone has questions whether it is legal or not. ”
Among the study, ParCare said it has returned all remaining doses to the state and hopes to work with the state to ensure it gives patients a second dose.
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